31 Articles
Why does a road ripple like a washboard? Here comes the science...

The good news is that the men in white coats have figured out why washboard roads develop on sand, gravel or any other loosely-surfaced roads. Above a certain speed, any linear force interacting with the surface causes the force to skip over the surface like a rock skipping over the water. The ripples are caused by the force alternately being "thrown off the surface" and then touching down again.

VIDEO: Bose suspension in action

Bose is most commonly known for its stereo systems and other home entertainment gear. The truth is that the company holds tons of patents, which it licenses to shrewdly fund research and development in a wide variety of areas, seemingly following the whims of Dr. Bose himself. The company has been working on electromechanical suspension systems for years now - I was even passed by one of their tricked out Lexuses while on my way up the hill to their Framingham, MA

KW thinks it can make the Porsche GT3 stick better

The new 911 GT3 has been praised as the finest iteration of the iconic coupe to ever come out of Stuttgart. And it's easy to see why. Lightweight components matched with an overly engineered powerplant and a superior suspension all conspire to make this 911 a perfect balance between track terror and daily driver. But KW thinks they can improve upon that last bit.

Ferrari to use Corvette-derived suspension on 599 GTB Fiorano

The embattled, and bankrupt, GM parts supplier Delphi has been tapped by Ferrari to supply the new 599 GTB Fiorano with its MagneRide suspension that’s also used on the Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac STS and other premium GM products. The MagneRide suspension uses shock absorbers filled with a fluid capable of changing damping characteristics on the fly.

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